In The Midst Of The Storm
by McDumbles
Summary: A storm is approaching and Mr. Gold is walking along the beach. He reminisces about Baelfire as he sees Henry fall into the water and rushes to save him.


_Inspired by a conversation I had with a friend._

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It was a rainy, windy afternoon in Storybrooke, and Mr. Gold was walking along the water, taking in the salty air and refreshing breeze. The ground was soft and moist from the rain; Mr. Gold made his way carefully so as not to get his fancy shoes or cane stuck in an especially muddy spot. He spent the majority of the time watching the waves, which were crashing quite fiercely today.

It was apparent that a major storm was about to hit the little town, so he decided it would be best to cut his walk short and start heading home. As he tore his gaze from the mesmerising water, he noticed something in the distance and realised he was not alone. He saw the tiny form Henry Mills standing close to the edge of a small stony ledge, jutting out over the water.

"What is that boy up too?" Gold thought to himself with a small shake of his head. He started to head towards the ten year old when the wind suddenly picked up and the rain began to pelt down harder than ever. Mr. Gold was getting close to Henry now and saw him squint and look up the rain. A crashing roll of thunder filled the sky and Henry jumped in shock as a bolt of lightning flashed through the sky. He stepped forward to try to climb down from the rocks but tripped on the slippery surface and fell forwards into the strong waves. Over the wind Mr. Gold could not hear the boy's cry as he fell, but he saw the terror on his face.

Mr. Gold broke into a run. He couldn't move as quickly as he would have liked, especially with his feet sliding in the slippery terrain, but he ran as fast as he could despite his limp.

He had always felt a little protective over young Henry. He had been the one to bring Henry to the little town when the boy was just a baby. He had seen him grow into a respectful, intelligent young man. Henry reminded Gold a little of his son Baelfire. He lost his own little boy long ago when he had broken a promise between the two of them. This broken promise had cost him everything. Every single day he was plagued with guilt from the memory that haunted him in each and every moment of his life.

Gold finally reached the spot where Henry had fallen; he dropped his cane behind him and reached out towards the child.

"Help!" Henry cried when he saw Gold, he was trying desperately to keep his head above the water.

"Take my hand!" Mr. Gold shouted over the ferocious sounds coming from the waves and wind.

Henry stretched his arm towards the man but pulled it back as soon as he began to sink.

"I can't!" Henry shouted.

"You can do it, keep trying Henry!" Gold encouraged him. Any moment the waves would pull Henry further into the ocean and it would be almost impossible to rescue him. "You need to grab my hand!"

Henry reached out again, and with all his might tried to keep his head above the water. This was extremely difficult to do using only one arm to tread water.

"Come on Henry you're almost there, keep trying! Don't give up!"

Squinting his eyes against the salty water, Henry stretched his arm as far as he could. Finally, tiny fingers entwined with larger, stronger ones and Mr. Gold pulled with all of the energy he could muster. Henry collapsed on the ground in front of Mr. Gold, he was shivering uncontrollably and there were tears mixing with the splashes of ocean water on his face. He was coughing up water but at least he was breathing. Mr. Gold grabbed for his cane and then helped the boy into a sitting position. "Are you alright son?"

Henry nodded as he wiped his face with the back of his hand.

"Come on, we need to get you to safety." Mr. Gold offered his hand but the boy did not take it, he just sat and stared dolefully at the ground. Gold sighed and took off his jacket to drape it around Henry's shoulders. He then awkwardly picked him up while trying to balance his weight on his cane. He managed to secure Henry safely, and with surprising ease he carried him away from the water, back towards the road. Henry wrapped his arms around Gold's shoulders in order to make it easier for the man to carry him.

"I want to go home." Henry sobbed into Mr. Gold's shoulders.

"Don't worry, I'll take you. You're safe now." Gold assured him. Thankfully Mr. Gold had driven to the beach and his car was parked close by. When they arrived at the vehicle he gently lowered Henry into the passenger seat and fastened his seat belt. Henry turned sideways and curled into the seat, pulling the jacket tighter around him.

"What were you doing out there in this weather?" Gold asked as he slid into the driver's seat and looked over at Henry.

"Just... thinking..." Henry said quietly into the seat.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Mr. Gold offered kindly as he buckled his own seatbelt and started the engine so he could switch the heat on.

Henry shook his head but then after a few moments said; "I just wish Emma and my mom could get along. They are always fighting and I wish they would stop. I don't want them to hate each other anymore."

"I see," Replied Mr. Gold as he started to drive towards the mayor's house. "Well, Regina and Emma certainly do have a lot of tension between them, but it's not right for you to have to suffer because of it. Why don't you try talking to them about it? They may be willing to at least try to be nice to each other, even if only for your sake. Neither of them would want you to be unhappy."

"I don't know, they are pretty mad at each other."

"I think you would be surprised what they would do for you," assured Mr. Gold.

There was no reply for several seconds and Mr. Gold just assumed Henry was gathering his thoughts. After a few more seconds Mr. Gold turned his head from the road briefly to look at Henry. He had fallen asleep in his seat and was breathing deeply. Mr Gold smiled and returned his gaze to the road.

A few minutes later, Mr. Gold pulled into the driveway of the Mills' house. How would Regina react? She would probably be angry that Henry had been careless enough to stand so close to the edge of the water in this weather, but she would also be relieved that he was safe. Regina had done some pretty heartless things in her lifetime, but she loved Henry more than anything. Mr. Gold recognized the love in her eyes when she looked at Henry, it was the same way he had looked at Baelfire. In some ways he was jealous of Regina, because she still had her son. Henry had been upset with her lately, but he would come around. He would forgive her in the end, and she would have him back. Meanwhile Mr. Gold did not know if he would even get the chance to see his little boy ever again.

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_Thank you for reading, reviews are highly appreciated!_


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